Post 20 earns No. 2 seed at stateLITTLE ROCK — The Russellville American Legion Post 20 Patriots earned a No.2 seed in the American Legion state tournament with a solid performance in the zone tournament. Russellville won two of three games at Burns Park in Little Rock. “They played really well,” Post 20 assistant head coach Kenny Spencer said. “We hit well, and it was just a pretty good team effort.” Russellville opened the tournament with a 6-5 win over Cabot, but was bumpe...

Sports Briefs (July 23, 2013)Senior softball registration The Russellville Senior Softball League will host registration for its eighth season from 6-8 p.m. today at the Hughes Community Center. Participants must be 49 years old in 2013. Entry fee is $35 per person. The first playing date is Aug. 13. Call Charles Lemley at (479) 970-5248 for additional information. Student athletic trainer workshop CLARKSVILLE — University of the Ozarks head athletic trainer Chad Floyd wi...

Volleyball student-athlete enjoys internshipAs a student-athlete at the college level, Stephanie Channell is accustomed to competition and pressure. So when the opportunity to work among some of our nation’s leaders at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., presented itself, Channell was ready to embrace the challenge. Channell, an Arkansas Tech University political science student from Prosper, Texas, served as an intern in the office of U.S. Sen. John Boozman during June. “One of my pr...

Former Wonder Boys reuniteThree former members of the Arkansas Tech University baseball program returned to the diamond to compete in a 2013 European Cup qualifying tournament in Paris, France, earlier this summer. Ivan Racic, a native of Croatia who played baseball at Arkansas Tech in 2009 and 2010, recruited two of his fellow former Wonder Boys — Josh Riley and Clint Stroud — to play on the Nada SSM Split team from Croatia in the 2013 European Cup qualifier June 17-2...

TBF’s high school champion crownedThe South Carolina team of Trevor Jeffers and Hunter Bragg took home The Bass Federation (TBF) High School Fishing World Finals championship trophy Saturday with a weight of 19.11 pounds. “I’m extremely excited and also glad to be out of the boat,” Jeffers said after the tournament. “I had to sit in that chair for hours.” The duo said they caught their limit on Lake Dardanelle by 10 a.m. and spent the rest of the afternoon culling for the bigg...

Dover team wins 13-14 state crownDOVER — Winning isn’t everything for the Mewborn Construction ABAA little league baseball team, although it certainly does a lot of it. “It’s all about good, positive attitudes,” head coach Terry Honeycutt said. Mewborn, which is made up of 13- and 14-years-olds, went 19-0 and won the 2013 ABAA state championship at Merritt Park Sports Complex in Dardanelle on July 8. The team scored 232 runs and only allowed 63 throughout the season, and acco...

University of West Alabama names Downey as head basketball coachLIVINGSTON, Ala. — Mark Downey has been named head basketball coach at the University of West Alabama, according to Director of Athletics Stan Williamson. The winner of two Gulf South Conference championships while at Arkansas Tech and a six-time coach of the year winner in nine seasons as a head coach, Downey comes to UWA from the University of Charleston. “My family and I are so excited about this opportunity. We are looking forward to doing...

Day 2: Cathcart has back-to-back titles in sightsAusten Cathcart knows what it’s like to win The Bass Federation (TBF) High School Fishing World Finals — he did it last year with his then-partner Sawyer Grace. After two days of fishing on Lake Dardanelle, Cathcart and current partner Tanner Jones are in position to win the tournament with a two-day total of 32.09 pounds. “Austin kind of holds a warm spot in my heart,” TBF National youth director Mark Gintert said. “He’s a good kid and no mat...

Crazy life of a coach’s wifeDANVILLE — Being the wife of a head football coach in a small town is without a doubt demanding and can be difficult at times. However, Nichole Crane, the wife of Danville High School head football coach D.J. Crane, said she wouldn’t change a thing about her life. The couple met 10 years ago when they were set up on a date by a friend of Nichole’s. They now have been married for nine years as of last February. Crane recalled starting the stead...

Lake, community attract The Bass FederationOne hundred and thirty-three fishing teams from across the country cast off in the waters of Lake Dardanelle early Wednesday morning. The lake and the community surrounding it are reasons The Bass Federation (TBF) and its Student Angler Federation (SAF) has made this area the location for the High School Fishing World Finals for the fourth consecutive year. “Russellville is one of the first locations that we came to see if they would be intere...

Atkins hires Binnie as new assistant coachATKINS — The Atkins School District has hired Jennifer Binnie as assistant girls softball coach and assistant junior high and senior high volleyball coach. Binnie has been the assistant softball coach for the University of Central Arkansas (UCA) Lady Bears in Conway since 2008, where she helped coach the Lady Bears to their first Southland Conference Tournament postseason berth since the program joined the conference. Atkins athletic director ...

RV Youth Club rides streak into HS finalsDOVER — Anglers and captains from the River Valley Youth Fishing Club (RVYFC) is hooking into a lot of momentum going into today’s first round of The Bass Federation (TBF) High School Fishing World Finals on Lake Dardanelle. RV Youth will have 30 high school anglers from eight Arkansas River Valley high schools among the tournament field. The first day of competition starts today and will wrap up with weigh-in at 2:30 p.m. at the Lake Dardanel...

High School Fishing World Finals nearsLake Dardanelle and the city of Russellville are welcoming the best anglers from high school fishing teams across the country for the fourth straight year as The Bass Federation (TBF) High School Fishing World Finals starts Wednesday and concludes Saturday. “Russellville is excited to play a part again in the High School Fishing World Finals,” Christie Graham, executive director of the Russellville Advertising and Tourism Commission, said. “We...

Cyclones second in 7-on-7 tourneyLITTLE ROCK — Russellville head football coach Jeff Holt is feeling pretty optimistic about the Russellville Cyclones after a second place finish in the second annual Garrett Uekman Memorial 7-on-7 tournament held Saturday at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. Russellville bumped off heavy hitters such as the Pulaski Academy Bruins during pool play, but lost to the Bruins in the finals of the tournament. “I thought we played really well,” Ho...

Dardanelle’s Parker Witt tackling the dreamDARDANELLE — When Dardanelle Sand Lizards junior wide receiver Parker Witt told his parents he wanted to pursue playing football at the college level, they had no idea what was in store for them. “It’s almost like running a campaign,” Jimmy Witt, Parker’s father and former Yell County judge, said. “You’ve got to get your kid out there and go to camps and combines.” Parker led the Sand Lizards in receptions and receiving touchdowns as a sophomo...

Wonder Boys 1-1 in Rice BowlIn 1957, officials of the annual World’s Champion Duck Calling Contest in Stuttgart organized the first Rice Bowl. Due in part to the increasing popularity of college football at the time, it was intended as a postseason game to match two of the best small-college football teams in the state. An agreement was made with the (now defunct) Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference (AIC) to have its reigning conference champion play a team to be determi...

ATU honors late coach with memorial tournamentDave Falconer gave 22 years of his life to the Arkansas Tech University men’s golf program before his death in 2011 and with the Dave Falconer Memorial Golf Tournament on July 27, the university aims to give something back. “Coach Falconer had such an impact on so many people’s lives,” current men’s golf coach Luke Calcatera said. “He affected so many people in Russellville. When he passed away we wanted to honor the coach and give everyone a ...

Sports Briefs (July 14, 2013)Little Lizards football camp runs Monday-Wednesday DARDANELLE — Keenan Field will host the annual Little Lizards football camp from 9 a.m. to noon Monday through Wednesday. Cost of the camp is $40. For more information, call coach Josh Price at (479) 477-0606. Ozarks to host tennis camp CLARKSVILLE — University of the Ozarks head men’s and women’s tennis coach Shaun Wiseman will conduct a tennis camp July 30-31. For ages 5-8, the camp will run...

RHS golf, tennis attempt to improve participationRussellville High School first-year head coach Bill Rowlett invites student-athletes in grades 9-12 who have any interest in playing tennis to meet the volunteer coach at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Cyclone Tennis Courts. After meeting the new coach and discussing team goals, potential players will go through an informal drill and hitting session. Players are asked to bring a new can of balls and their racquet. Drill sessions will continue at 6:30 p....

Post 20 drops 2 games to NLRThe Russellville American Legion Post 20 Patriots were swept by the North Little Rock Colts in a zone doubleheader on Thursday at Tech Field on the Arkansas Tech University campus. Post 20 narrowly lost the first game by a score of 2-1 but were shut down handily, 7-3, in game two. In game one, Russellville (12-17) scored one run on three hits and suffered a dozen strikeouts. Pitcher Jacob Barker struck out two and gave up five hits. Post 20 to...